


Your Royal Highness

by SgtLeppard



Category: Amnesia: The Dark Descent, Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Victorian, Awkwardness, Bad Ending, Happy Ending, M/M, Period-Typical Homophobia, Sexual Content, Tragic Romance, Two Endings, also the Crue members only show up for one chapter, better safe than sorry, but I figured I should add them anyway, like Sav is literally Victoria's son, take your pick
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-22
Updated: 2016-08-22
Packaged: 2018-08-10 07:23:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7835470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SgtLeppard/pseuds/SgtLeppard
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stephen and Richard are two young adults in Victorian England. They grew up together, but their upbringings were different: Stephen's father is the captain of the Royal Knights of England, and Richard is England's heir apparent. Despite this, it seems that they might have feelings for each other, but they must be careful. One wrong move and everything could end disastrously.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The New Knight

**Author's Note:**

> My girlfriend, Kaliedo, has been doing a Prince/Knight AU with her Agrippa and Weyer muses, so thanks to them and the Tumblr prompt that started it, I got the idea to do one for Steve and Sav, and it will be a long one. This will also tie into and feature characters from their own Prince/Knight story

**~4 November, 1879~**

Richard gazed dully out of the window of his room, watching the young noble children play around. He wished he could've played with his friends when he was their age, but that was the price of being a Prince. In fact, he barely had any friends growing up. All he had were his mother, two older brothers, the knights on duty guarding his room, and the royal nurse.

His eldest brother, John, had died when Richard was a boy. He died in battle a month after he had taken him to see Prussia, where he met Alexander, the Baron. His second eldest brother, Brian, had abdicated, not wishing to suffer the same fate John had. This meant that Richard was directly next in line for the throne, and he hated it. While most people would envy the royal family for their lavish lifestyle, Richard envied the nobility and below for their more carefree lifestyle. He would give anything to be a normal teenager like everyone else, where the only duties were to do chores. Instead, his duties were to study almost day in and day out, as his mother, Queen Victoria, wanted him to take over soon. He didn't want to be King, but he felt he had to just to keep the kingdom running. All because he was the last in line. There was no one else to take over.

The door opened, a page entering and bowing. "Your Highness?"

Richard turned his attention to the page. "Yes?"

"You wanted me to let you know when the Queen was conducting the adoubement. It'll commence shortly."

The dubbing ceremony, of course! He nearly forgot! "Thank you, Thomas."

The page bowed once more and left the room.

The ceremony was for one of the knights' sons, Stephen. If anything, he was the Prince's only friend. His father, Sir Clark, was a close confidante of the Queen, so Richard and Stephen did get some time to play. They'd practically known each other since the cradle. Although recently, they hadn't been able to do so much as say hello to each other in passing. Sir Clark kept the boy busy, since he was a squire. Running errands, helping his father and the other knights, going into battle with them. It was quite a lot to do.

Stephen was only a few months older than himself, only nineteen years of age. It wasn't often that a squire below the age of twenty-one became a knight, but then again it wasn't unheard of. Richard wanted to make sure that the two could talk immediately after the ceremony. That was one of the few perks he liked about being a Prince. He could do just about anything he wanted within reason and no one would bat an eye at him for it. Maybe his mother would, but that was a different story.

The talk wouldn't be to just merely catch up. No, he had a more important goal on his mind. As he thought about it while leaving to attend the ceremony, it reminded him of a conversation he'd had with his brother some weeks before. In short, he had confessed that he was in love with Stephen. Brian, thankfully, supported how he felt, but he wasn't sure how the soon-to-be knight would take it. Only one way to find out.

\----------

Sir Stephen. It definitely had a nice ring to it. His father and the other knights had felt he had proven himself, as had the Queen. Now he had the title to show for it.

He had noticed that Prince Richard had attended the ceremony. Stephen had never once seen him at any previous dubbings before. Despite that they had spent ample time together as children, he didn't want to be too quick to claim the Prince was his friend. Boasting of how close one was to any member of the royal family was seen as unprofessional. Though yes, they were friends. Maybe, Stephen thought, it was the reason he came. To see his friend become a full fledged knight.

If he was at all honest, he had become slightly flustered upon seeing him. Not so much that his presence was unexpected. In fact, it was for a different reason, and it wasn't the first time it happened. The first time was when the two were only fifteen years old. They had been talking beside the curtain wall one day. About what, he doesn't remember anymore. Later that night, he had asked his mother what love felt like, and she described it to him. She asked if someone had won his heart, to which he replied yes. He didn't tell her that the someone in question was Prince Richard.

It was for the best that he kept his love for the Prince a secret. The law was that anyone suspected to be in a relationship or caught in the act with someone of the same gender were to be imprisoned. It was far worse for the nobility and royal family. The sentence was death.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw him approaching and quickly averted his eyes. He knew if he stared for too long, his face would flush red and the other knights would embarrass him for it.

Prince Richard walked up to the group, all immediately bowing before him. After shaking off a slight awkward feeling, he spoke, "If I may, I need to speak with Sir Stephen alone."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Wait, what? He wanted to talk to him? Why? The newly dubbed knight followed the Prince over to the curtain wall where it was much quieter.

"Sorry, a little difficult to talk with so many people bowing to me," Richard spoke. "I'd rather they not."

"You know, they do it out of respect for your title, Your Highness."

Richard flushed. "Stephen, how many times do I have to tell you, just call me Richard."

Stephen chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, force of habit." He had to admit, he found it cute when the Prince was flustered. Of course, he didn't say that... yet. But he figured that now might be the time to tell him.

"I need to tell you something," they both spoke in unison, then laughed at their own synchronicity.

"You first," Stephen spoke through his laughter.

Richard sighed as he gathered his thoughts. This could go well, or it could go bad. "Stephen, I, um..." He looked down, noticing his hands beginning to shake. Oh God, why did he have to become so nervous right now? "I... uh..."

Stephen could see his friend becoming flustered. While he, as usual, found it cute, he was curious as to what he had to say. Whatever it was had to have been on his mind for a long time and he was only just now getting the chance to say it. Maybe...? Just maybe...? No, there was no way. It had to be impossible for the Prince to have feelings for him. He's a man as well. But he was in for a shock.

Richard looked up and got it out, "I like you." _You dolt, explain it to him!_ Clearing his throat, he went on. "When I say that, I mean..." He trailed off, not sure if he should even continue the sentence.

"What?" the knight asked. "What is it?"

After a few moments of silence, he finally got his answer. "I... I mean that I... I love you."

Stephen's heart began to pound wildly. Was this a dream? Was he imagining things? But no, it was no dream. "You... love me?"

The Prince nodded in reply.

This had to have been the best day ever. First he was knighted by the Queen, now the Prince was confessing his love for him! It seemed so much like a dream, that he was going to wake up now in his bed, still a squire, and the Prince holds no such feelings for him. But no. This was all happening. It was all real. He smiled softly, averting his eyes, "It's funny you should say that, um..." There was no way this could end bad now. Looking back up, he spoke, "I love you too."

Richard almost couldn't believe his ears. Stephen loved him back! This was a dream come true!

"Sir Stephen!" The singsong voice that could only be attributed to his mother came towards them. Lady Clark curtseyed before Richard, who became flustered at the gesture, then hugged her son. "I am so proud of you. I know you'll be a wonderful knight."

"I believe he will too, milady," Richard affirmed.

She turned to the Prince. "I'm terribly sorry for interrupting your conversation, Your Highness."

"It's alright, milady. I just need to talk to him about something really quick, then I'll turn him loose."

"Alright," she smiled. "You know where to find me, my little Stevie." She then lightly pinched his cheeks.

"Mother..." he whined. He didn't exactly like it when she did that.

She giggled, then curtseyed once more to Richard. "Your Highness. I'll be going now." She turned and left the two to talk, Richard waving towards her. Stevie. Oh, how adorable.

Turning his attention back to his friend, Stephen spoke, "We need to meet somewhere more private to talk."

"Ah! The park," the Prince answered. "Late at night, no one's there. It'll be quiet and we can talk uninterrupted. When should we meet?"

Stephen thought for a moment. "I might be busy tomorrow and the day after. But the next day I should be free."

"So it's settled," Richard said, "Three days, we'll meet in the park."

The knight hummed and nodded in response. "I'll see you then, Richard." He then bowed before him.

As usual, he flushed. "You did that on purpose."

"Of course," he replied, smiling. "You know, you look cute when you're flustered like that."

The flush on Richard's face deepened. He can't believe he just said that! "S-Stephen..."

Stephen chuckled. "Three days." He turned and headed back towards the other knights, where his mother and father were waiting for him.

Richard leaned against the wall and sighed, a wide grin on his face. He did reciprocate his feelings, and they were to meet in three days time to talk further. Oh, he could barely wait!


	2. The Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephen and Richard set a date to meet and talk. The talking eventually leads to something else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fluff. Fluff everywhere

**~7 November, 1879~**

Stephen slipped out of his room, using the outside darkness as his ally to hide himself as he navigated about the castle, exiting onto the grounds, and making his way to the park. He had decided beforehand against wearing his armour for mainly two reasons: 1. It was liable to make unnecessary noise. 2. A suit of armour wasn't exactly fitting for a private meeting like this.

Richard, who had long since been sitting on a marble bench, flushed red when he saw Stephen arrive not in his suit of armour, but in... well, a suit. And his hair tied back! "Oh my," he murmured to himself. He had never seen his friend in such attire. "If I may say," he began once Stephen was close enough to hear, "you look very handsome."

Blushing, the knight chuckled. "I don't normally wear these kinds of outfits, but for an occasion like this, it's only appropriate." He sat down next to the Prince and rubbed his hands, wishing he had put gloves on. The November cold was a little too cold for his liking. Though he did feel a little better knowing Richard wasn't wearing his either.

"So," Richard said, not sure where to start or even what questions to ask, despite said questions being rather obvious. His hands began to shake again no thanks to his nerves. He wished this wasn't so hard to get off his chest.

Calm hands clasped his own quivering ones, he almost didn't hear Stephen ask if something was wrong. Shaking his head, he answered, "No, it's just... you're the first person I've ever fallen in love with. It's almost confusing."

"You are, too," Stephen admitted. This is why he was thankful he asked his mother what love was. "I remember we were talking by the wall. It was a long time ago. We were fifteen." Was four years a long time ago? "That was the day I fell in love with you. I treasured every moment that we could talk and spend time together, and I still do and always will."

Richard blushed, feeling slightly better about how to say what he felt. "Every time I try to think about when I fell in love with you, I get headaches. I know it has been some years, but... it feels like I've loved you all my life." It had been so long that he could no longer pinpoint exactly when his feelings for Stephen developed.

Stephen hesitated a moment before speaking. Who knows how this would go, but better to say something than watch the opportunity pass you by and leave you wishing you had. "Richard, my Prince," he began, "if you would allow it..." Here goes. "I would be more than happy to be yours."

_Mine? Does he mean...?_ Once the realisation hit him, the Prince smiled. "As would I," he replied. Anything to be with him. If need be, he would give up the crown to be with him. It suddenly dawned on him exactly how much he truly loved the knight.

Smiling, they leaned against each other for what seemed like hours, the silence between them a comfortable one. Stephen supposed that it was expected and normal. One would be content enough to have the other person's presence. Words need not be spoken. Though Richard soon broke the silence. Turning to his new lover, he asked, "Do you know how to dance?"

"Uh, w-what?" Stephen stammered.

Richard giggled and repeated. "Do you know how to dance? Like, ballroom dancing?"

Stephen flushed and rubbed his arm through his jacket sleeve, shaking his head. "N-no, I-I don't."

The Prince giggled once more. "Come, I'll show you." He stood, pulling Stephen up. "One hand holding here..." He took the knight's left hand, interlocking their fingers. "Then your arm around here." He then placed his right arm around his waist. "I'm surprised you don't know how to dance by now."

"I guess my mother didn't have the time to teach me," Stephen replied, daring a soft squeeze with the hand at the small of Richard's back.

"Well, I'm teaching you now," he smiled and placed his own left hand on Stephen's shoulder. "It's a triple time step, and you go clockwise."

"Go how?"

"Turning, silly," the Prince giggled. "Upon each beat, you take a step and turn slightly. That is, of course, if you'd like to go fast, so we'll do a slower variant."

"And how does that work?"

"A step and turn every three beats. It's easier to learn the slower way. Now, the important thing is to pay attention to your steps and watch the lead. If I take a step," he lifted his foot, "you have to anticipate the step and move accordingly."

As Richard began to bring his foot down, Stephen moved his to accommodate. "Like so?"

"Yes, very good." Richard took another step, to which Stephen took a step as well. "There you go." Once more, he took a step, Stephen following. "Very good. Let's try to pick up the pace a bit. Not too fast, of course. I'll keep count, alright?"

"Alright," Stephen smiled.

Richard returned the smile. "Follow my lead."

Before the knight knew it, he was dancing. They went through a sequence of steps, the Prince counting 'one-two-three' upon every step. Stephen made sure that he kept his steps in line with his. Not long after, they stopped. "Very good, Stephen," Richard praised the knight, "I think you're getting it now."

Stephen flushed.

"Want to take the lead this time?" Richard asked.

"M-me? Lead?" the knight stammered.

"Yes," the Prince affirmed.

"A-a-alright. I'll give it a try." He sighed nervously.

"Take your time, love."

Stephen took a deep breath to try and calm his nerves. "Here goes..." He took a step, Richard following. Another step, another follow. At first, he kept count in his head, but the more he looked into the Prince's face, the more the count seemed to fade away and it was just them dancing. He had to admit, it was quite romantic, slowly dancing with the one he loved. "I think I'm getting the hang of this."

Richard smiled, gently squeezing his shoulder, "That's good."

Slowly, they began to lose track of time, perfectly content to just dance with each other on the walkway. All cares and worries dissolved into the background. No one else existed but them. They wished the moment would never end, for time to freeze, to simply be together. As if nothing could tear them apart.

"And..." Stephen softly murmured, letting go of the Prince briefly, only to place his hands on his hips and lift him, spinning him around.

Richard was surprised at the move and laughed. Where did he pick that up from? "There you go," he beamed as he was set down, "you've got it!"

Stephen laughed with him. Had the Prince asked where he learned to twirl his partner around, he would simply answer that he had seen many couples at balls when he was younger making the same move as he did.

The two gazed into each other's eyes, extra chuckles escaping them as they grinned. Soon, the chuckles died down and Stephen's smile slowly began to fade. Richard's smile faded as well. "Is something the matter?"

The knight's heart raced. Should he? Is now even an appropriate time? He had spent many nights dreaming about such a moment like this with Richard, hoping for the chance to do it for real, and this was it. Now or never. Instead of answering, he pulled the Prince in an embrace, slowly leaning forward as his eyes began to lid shut, and gently pressed his lips to Richard's.

Richard gasped softly, eyes closing as well. He kissed him! His first kiss! He honestly had not been expecting Stephen to kiss him at all, let alone so sweetly. Returning the embrace, he threaded his fingers through the knight's strawberry blonde tresses. He felt slightly awkward, not knowing exactly what he was doing. Maybe in time he would learn how, and now was definitely a good time to start.

Admittedly, Stephen didn't know much of what he was doing either, but unlike Richard, he had kissed another person before. One of the younger noble girls had some feelings for him, but he told her that he wasn't interested, but kissed her anyway. The kiss he shared with the girl held no emotion whatsoever. At least on his part. He was sure she must've felt something, but he didn't. But right now, with his Prince, his heart threatened to jump out of his chest and explode.

Now that he thought about it, he never really held an interest in girls. The young knight wasn't sure exactly why. At first, he thought he was too busy to court a lady, but this proved not to be the case. While he never admitted it to anyone, he had found some of the other knights quite attractive as well. Of course he would never admit it. If he had, he wouldn't have lived to see himself become a knight in the first place. And possibly have never gotten to have this moment with Richard. This made him quite glad that he kept his sexuality and questioning of it a secret.

The Prince, on the other hand, held an equal interest in both men and women, though of course, he kept this to himself, save for his brother Brian. He was happy knowing that he could share anything with his brother and not be reprimanded about it. The former heir apparent had an open mind and had said that if he were still in line to become King, he would certainly make his views known. Now, if anything were to change, it would fall upon Queen Victoria while she still reigned if she were to change her mind, or upon Richard when he would succeed her as King.

But right now, they pushed those thoughts aside as they continued to embrace and explore new territory. However, the kiss didn't last much longer. Stephen pulled back a bit and sighed with content, caressing Richard's cheek. "I love you, my Prince."

Richard smiled softly. "I love you too, my knight." Chancing a look at the clock tower, he noticed it was nearly 3 in the morning. "It's getting late. We should retire to bed."

The knight nodded, glancing at the clock tower as well. The Royal Knights normally have to be up very early, depending on the shift. And the shift Stephen was on for that day had to be at their posts by 7:30. He was sure he could make a four hour sleep work. Taking Richard's hand, he led him back to the castle door. Once they stopped, a rope dangling from a window caught the knight's attention. "Why is there a rope there?"

Richard giggled, "I should've explained. That's how I got out here."

Stephen's eyes widened. "You what? You _climbed_ out of your window?"

"Mmhm," the Prince hummed. "Can't have the guard knowing I'm up and about at odd hours of the night."

Stephen chuckled as he ran a hand through his hair. "Just when I thought you couldn't be any more different, you pull this off."

Richard replied with a smug grin. "Well, I'll be off now." He leaned in close and kissed the knight's cheek. "I love you."

Stephen flushed in response. "I love you too." He stood and watched as Richard made his way to the rope and began climbing back up. Rope climbing was quite dangerous, but he could see that the Prince had made himself an expert in it. Only when he reached his window and was safely inside did Stephen begin to make the trek through the dark castle back to his own room.


	3. Consummation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The last time Stephen and Richard shared a room to sleep in was when they were little. Since they're now grown, they were forbidden to by law. Of course, the law never stopped them before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy your first time smut, you thirsty nerds

**~10 December, 1879~**

"Checkmate."

Richard's eyes widened at what he saw. If he moved the king backward, it would be caught by the rook he was checked by. The rook and also a bishop would take it if he went forward. The bishop would also catch it if he moved to the left side. To the right side, the queen would take it, as well as both right diagonals and lower left diagonal. The upper left diagonal, a mere pawn. Well, fuck. The Prince smiled and knocked his king over, a typical gesture of accepting defeat in a chess match. "That's the third time in a row," he commented. "You weren't lying when you said you were a master at chess."

Stephen grinned smugly. "I don't lie."

Richard chuckled. "Very true."

It had been a month since the pair confessed their love for each other. Richard had heard around the rumour mill that Stephen was quite the expert in chess, which the knight of course admitted to. Naturally, he challenged his lover to a best of five chess match. Needless to say, Stephen won three games. No need for two more to make five.

As the Prince put the pieces and board away, he began to think, then turned his attention to Stephen. "Do you want to stay the night with me?" As soon as the words left his lips, his face flushed a deep crimson.

"W-what...?"

No backing out now. "W-would you like to stay the night with me? Together, I mean."

Of course Stephen wanted to, but potential problems could arise. What if someone walked in and saw them together? Sure, if the knight was a woman, no one would really think twice about it, but getting caught in bed with Richard would be about as bad as being caught in bed with a Princess, regardless of if she invited him or not.

Richard could see that his loved looked distressed. "What's wrong?"

He sighed, "It's just..." He immediately lowered his voice so the passing knights wouldn't hear. "What if we're found out? You know if I'm caught in there--"

"I know." It was Richard's turn to sigh. "I know we were allowed to when we were children."

"My point exactly," Stephen countered. "We're not children anymore. We're grown men. You could get in trouble for this."

Did he just hear him right? "Stephen, you could get in trouble too. Why did you only say me?"

The knight locked eyes with his lover. "I'm more worried about what happens to you. I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you."

"And you think the same wouldn't apply vice versa?" The Prince sighed again and tugged at his dirty blonde curls. Then an idea came to mind. "I could tell the guard to make himself scarce."

Stephen raised an eyebrow. "Can you even do that?"

He scoffed, "Of course I can! I do sometimes use the perks of being a Prince to my advantage, mind you. I can do just about anything I like, and that includes you!"

The knight smirked, "Oh really now?"

Shit, had he just said that out loud? His face flushed upon the realisation that yes, he had. Thankfully there wasn't anyone around now. The patrolling knights had already passed by. "Y-yeah, what of it?" Richard straightened up and did his best to appear authoritative. "As the crown Prince of England, I order you to share my bed with me tonight."

Giggling, Stephen answered, "You don't need to order me, I was going to anyway."

"I-I knew that."

\----------

Stephen had gone on about his duties for the day, leaving Richard to take a stroll around the castle, as he normally did when he was left to his own devices. Although most of the time he'll walk due to stress. Having the opportunity to think on other things for such an extended period of time was a wonderful destresser for him. Sometimes it didn't work.

While walking, he saw Sir Francis, who was set to guard his room that night, walking by. "Francis!" he called after him as he ran to catch up with him at the other end of the corridor.

Sir Francis was in no way an old man, but he definitely wasn't young anymore. Hearing the Prince's voice, he stopped and turned to him. Having been a knight for longer than Richard had been alive, he knew his preferences. "Oh, Your Highness. Something on your mind, dear boy?"

"I wanted to ask you something," he spoke, wringing his hands together.

"Anything, what is it?"

Richard sighed a little. "I sort of... invited someone to my room for the night, and I also sort of promised her there wouldn't be anyone outside."

"I beg your pardon, Richard, but are you insane?"

Richard quickly shushed him. "I'd just rather there not be anyone to hear her. She'd be embarrassed. Besides," he continued, "I'm sure you'd be plenty tired by the time you would even have to report, with all the errands you seem to be running."

Francis chuckled. "My boy, I simply do what I can. I'm not in fighting condition anymore, that is quite obvious, but..."

"But the point is," the Prince countered, "you're getting older. You can't be up all hours of a 24 hour day working. You need your rest." Before the not-so-elderly knight could reply, Richard spoke again, a reassuring smile on his face, "Go on. Take the night off."

Chuckling again, Francis nodded. "Alright, Your Highness." He began to go back about his duties. "Have fun with your lady tonight."

"I will," Richard tried to keep himself from giggling and waved after him, then resumed his walk.

\----------

Nightfall came. Richard loitered around his doorway for nearly an hour as he waited for Stephen to arrive. What was taking him so long? Was it his mother? Good God, he knew she was overbearing, but what could she possibly be doing to keep him back?

Brian peeked out of his own doorway, seeing his little brother pacing back and forth. "Rick, be patient. I'm sure he'll turn up soon."

"Yeah, but what if he doesn't?" the crown Prince sounded exasperated, if not impatient.

"Do you want me to see what's keeping him?"

"No, no," he waved him off and resumed pacing. If Lady Clark is the reason his lover doesn't show up, he was going to be highly upset.

Finally, the sound of footsteps echoed through the otherwise empty hallway, the young knight emerging at the top of the stairwell. Richard ran over to him and wrapped his arms around him, nearly knocking them both down the stairs.

"I told you he'd turn up, you impatient tosser."

"Tch," the muffled sound emerged from the younger Prince.

Stephen chuckled and patted his lover's back. "I'm sorry I kept you waiting. My mum needed help with dinner."

He knew it. "Well, you're here now."

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Brian teased, smirking.

Richard shot him a glare. "That's a very short list, Brian."

The elder Prince laughed and rolled his eyes. "Good night, you two." With that, he disappeared back into his room.

Richard drew his gaze back to Stephen. "Shall we?" He ushered his lover into his room, making sure to lock the door behind him, as it's supposed to be.

It had been quite some time since he'd been in the room, but Stephen still recognised it. Only a few things seemed to be different. He had a new desk, which was much sturdier than the last one. From what he heard, the Prince was standing on top of it to fix the curtain for his window, and it broke under the weight. His biggest injury was a couple of broken fingers from where heavy parts of the desk had fallen on them, so he was right as rain shortly after.

He also noticed the curtain was changed out. Possibly due to the cold weather. It looked thicker. The bedspread was also different. But one thing that was different that struck some curiosity was the lack of photographs of him and Queen Victoria. That was weird. When he was younger, he couldn't really shut up about how great a mother she was to him. Now he barely mentioned her at all. They also seemed to argue much more than usual in the past few years.

The knight turned his attention to his lover, who was readying himself for bed. At least he wasn't wearing his armour. Just normal clothes. Like he would really want people to hear armour hitting the floor. As he similarly undressed for bed, he couldn't keep his curiosity to himself.

"Richard?"

"Yes?"

"Why does it seem like you don't get along with your mother all that much anymore?"

The Prince sighed, sitting down on the bed. "It used to not be that way."

Stephen sat down next to him, wrapping his arm around his waist. "What happened?"

Sighing again, he opened up. "When we were children, she would take every possible moment to play with us, comfort us when we were hurt. I had nightmares a lot when I was young." His gaze fell to his lap. "I still do..." He quickly shook his head, continuing. "She would always be the first person who would make me feel better. I could come to her with anything and she would be there for me."

"What changed?" Though Stephen felt he knew the answer already.

"She changed," Richard simply answered. "Ever since John died, she's been very distant. I know it seems childish to want my mother to be like she used to, but..."

The knight could only watch as his Prince broke down in tears. He pulled him close in an embrace, rubbing his back as he cried. "I just wish she would not be so cold to me...!"

Poor Richard. Indeed it seemed after the eldest Prince's death, the Queen's political attitude had become her overall attitude in general. Now she wasn't just being harsh to opposing countries, such as France, she was being harsh to her own children. Her youngest particularly.

"Hopefully she'll come around," Stephen tried to sound reassuring. He kissed his forehead and caressed his cheek. "She will someday."

Richard sniffled, "Y-you think so...?"

The knight nodded and smiled. "Come on. We should sleep."

"O-okay."

The pair finished getting ready for bed, with Richard lending Stephen one of his nightgowns. He had to admit, he was confused as to how Richard could wear one of those to sleep. It seemed really unnecessary. Long johns were better to sleep in. Or was it Victoria's decision to have him sleep in a nightgown? To whoever had come up with that idea, he thought, it was a dumb idea. But he wasn't about to say that to his Prince's face. Who knows? Maybe Richard liked wearing nightgowns to bed. More power to him.

Soon the pair snuggled up under the thick blankets, the knight falling asleep within minutes.

\----------

"Oof!" Stephen awoke with the sensation of what felt like someone flopping on top of him. For a moment, he began to panic and thought they had been caught. Only when he noticed the lack of light in the room did it occur to him that it was still nighttime, and no one else was in the room. If no one else was in the room, then it only made sense that Richard had done so in his sleep. After adjusting his eyes to the darkness a bit, he could see he was indeed awoken by the Prince, but he wasn't asleep.

"Richard...?" The knight rubbed at his bleary eyes. "Why are you awake...?"

"I can't sleep."

"So you woke me up?"

"I'm bored."

"Have a toss?"

"No," Richard snorted and lightly punched his lover's shoulder. "Besides, I don't really have the inspiration anyway."

"That can be fixed, y'know."

The Prince smirked and raised his eyebrows. "Oh really?"

Stephen replied with his own smirk, "Yes really, Prince Foofy."

Ah, he brought out -that- nickname again. Sometimes Stephen called him that just to tease him. Other knights who would hear that would immediately go to scold him for what they thought was blatant disrespect, but Richard would assure them that it was all in good fun and that he didn't mind it. It was especially so since the two of them had literally known each other their entire lives. It just makes sense.

Richard's smirk widened into a grin. "Prove it then."

Without another word, Stephen flipped him over on his back and quickly kissed him. He wasted no time in fluttering a hand up Richard's nightgown, the Prince quickly hardening. It never ceased to amaze him how fast his lover could get hard, but then again, it could be because they're still young. And to think the knight once thought that 19 was old.

Richard let out a small moan once Stephen's hand reached its destination. Normally he would want him to take his time and be slow instead of getting right to the point as he usually does, but this time it was different. Of course, they had only been experimenting sexually for a couple of weeks, and they weren't quite used to each other's touch just yet, but the young Prince hoped that someday they would. While Stephen worked him over, he began to think of the first time they decided to experiment. They had stolen away in a broom cupboard, and both of them were nervous about what they were about to do. Hesitant touches, whispered words, strangled whimpers in attempt to keep quiet, and at the end of it all, it left them both a flushed, panting, sticky mess.

A thought then occurred to him. What they were doing was the same as always, though with the added detail of it maybe helping him get to sleep, but things were different. They weren't in a broom closet during the day while people bustled about their business. They were in his own room, he had given Francis the night off to rest, which meant his room was unsupervised, and Brian didn't give two shits either way of what they did. Which meant...

"Stephen..." Richard panted softly, words coming out of their own accord, "make love to me..."

The knight pulled back a bit, but didn't release his grip. "Are you sure, love?" All of the potential cons of doing so right then and their ran through his mind. There was a possible chance he could end up hurting him, even though he wouldn't mean to. Not to mention that neither of them had ever made love to anyone before, which really made him nervous about it. Yes, they've experimented, but they never took it that far before. But Richard nodded, confirming that he was sure. "Alright," he smiled softly. Besides, there was no one nearby to hear them. Why not take advantage of their newfound privacy?

But as with any encounter that takes it all the way, they were at a bit of a loss as to what they should do. Seeing as they had never gotten this far before, it was to be expected. They got the general idea of how sexual intercourse actually worked. It was just getting up to that point that was a real fill-in-the-blank situation. But those were blanks they were going to fill along the way if they had to. They weren't going to let their inexperience stop them.

Stephen delicately removed Richard's nightgown, finally getting to admire his body without anything blocking the view. "See something you like?" the Prince smirked.

"Oh, I see a lot of things I like," was his reply. As the last word left his lips, Richard sat up for a brief moment, just long enough to rid Stephen of his own nightgown before laying back down. He didn't have to say the same. It was quite obvious. For them, getting to see each other this way was a treat. Neither of them were very physically built, and Stephen had a bit more muscle on him than Richard did, due to being a knight, but they were both pretty slim and fit for the most part. They didn't have the typical 'built' appearance that most people envision -- and some of the knights actually have -- but that was just perfect for them.

The knight moved in for another kiss, resuming his work over of Richard's cock, earning him hisses and gasps. Richard could barely think straight as he instinctively held onto him, burying his face in his neck. But it wasn't long before he began to get a little antsy.

"Patience is a virtue," Stephen muttered in a singsong voice.

"Not right now it isn't," Richard replied in the same singsong tone, sharply hissing as he finally began prepping him. The Prince forgot that was a required thing to do in most cases, especially right now. He had to admit, it stung a bit, causing him to tense up. _Relax, just relax,_ he thought over and over. Eventually, he did and realised that the stinging sensation was now almost gone. It still lingered as Stephen was continuing to prep him, building it up a bit so that by the time he actually entered him, it wouldn't hurt so much.

Finally, it was time and Stephen began to position himself between Richard's legs. It was beginning to dawn on him that they were really about to do this. This was really going to happen and there was nothing to stop them, barring their own nervous hesitation. Questions swam through his mind. _What if I perform terribly? What if I hurt him? What if either of us wants to stop? What would happen if we did?_ Just sitting there thinking about it wasn't going to answer those questions. He mustered up his courage and kissed his Prince. "I love you, Richard."

Now, Stephen's cock was not exactly what one would describe as average size. It was actually larger. Not by much, but enough to make a difference. This fact certainly hit Richard like a ton of bricks when he finally entered him, causing him to bite his lip and squeeze the knight's arm. It hurt, but he had to have faith that it wouldn't for much longer. Then he began to move, and suddenly every sense felt heightened. The pace was slow, but the passion was intense. The Prince could barely believe this was really happening. They were making love for the first time. This was not a dream; it was really happening.

Steadily, the pace and force increased as instinct slowly kicked in. It was a reflex for the both of them to try and keep quiet, but there was no need or pressure to. They could be as loud as they wanted to, but being quiet seemed to make their moment that much more passionate. Maybe when they were more comfortable, they could test their vocal volumes in bed. Stephen had begun to gently bite Richard's neck, leaving light bruises behind and making him moan softly. The Prince could no longer think clearly. One hand bunched the sheets while the other feverishly clawed at Stephen's back. He had never felt such intense pleasure before. It was almost overwhelming. Even the knight was having trouble keeping in check as he continued to pick up the pace with each thrust.

Richard could feel the end nearing as he began to feel hot, but this time it was stronger. Much stronger than all other times previous. "S-S-Stephen...!" A loud, broken moan was all that proceeded as he tightened his hold on him and finally came, spilling himself on his stomach and chest. The knight wasn't far behind as he emptied himself inside his lover a few thrusts later, a low groan rumbling in his throat.

The pair kept still for several moments as they tried to regain their composure, panting heavily. It was cold outside, but it was much warmer for them. They practically forgot that it was snowing outside. Who wouldn't forget the outside world even existed in moments like this? A small shiver went through Stephen's body and he laid down next to the Prince, pulling the thick blankets over them. Richard shakily snuggled up to him, softly laying his head on his chest.

"H-how was I?" the knight's question broke the silence.

Richard smiled. "You were wonderful."

Stephen smiled as well, now that his fears were quelled. He held him close, lazily threading his fingers through his curls. "I love you so much."

"I love you too." A moment later, the Prince was lulled to sleep by the sound of his knight's heartbeat.


End file.
